The look on her face makes me think wherever it is we’re going I’m not going to like it. But she’s my wife and if she says we need to go, then I guess we’re going.
Narrowing my eyes at her, I ask suspiciously, “Okay, baby. Where exactly are we going?”
Her eyes gleam and she whispers with a small smile, “You know I love you, right?”
Oh shit. I’m so fucked.
***
Using my key, I open the front door to my childhood home and call out, “Mama? Tata? Is anyone home?”
Approximately ten seconds pass and when no one answers Ash whispers, “Oh well. We tried. C’mon, let’s go. ” He takes my hand and tries to pull me back out the door.
Laughing at his ridiculousness, I mutter, “I can’t believe you’re nervous. They’re just my parents. ”
Ash’s brows lift. He shakes his head. “No. They’re not just your parents, babe. They’re your protectors. They aren’t gonna want you with someone like me. I know it. ”
He’s not wrong.
It’s not that they’ll have anything against Asher. It’s just that they’ll wonder why we eloped. Doing something like that, in our family, means something’s wrong.
Terribly wrong.
I scoff, “You don’t know that. C’mon, I think they’re in the yard. ”
We walk through my house when he spots a picture of me and my sisters when I was about eleven. I’m wearing a hat. He chuckles. “Let me guess. Nina and the Mohawk?”
Laughing, I tell him, “Oh yeah. That wasn’t the first time either. You should see our family photos, especially the ones where dad has no sideburns. ”
His body shakes behind me in silent laughter, and when I reach the back sliding door, my stomach dips. I won’t let Ash see how nervous I am though. Pasting on a huge smile, I open the door and step out onto the back porch where my mom, dad, Nina and Helena sit at the outdoor setting.
Helena spots us first and stands so fast, her chair tumbles backwards. She squeals and runs over to us, jumping up on me. I throw my arms around her and laugh, “Whoa, whoa, whoa. You’d think I haven’t seen you for years!”
Helena lets go of me and to my surprise, she jumps up on Ash. And he lets her, hugging her and smiling too.
Maybe this isn’t going to be as bad as I thought.
Nina stands and comes over to me. She bear hugs me and says, “It’s so good to see you, honey. ”
She cups Ash’s cheek and kisses the other. I watch my sisters flank my husband. Helena wraps an arm around his waist from one side and Nina wraps an arm around his waist from the other side. I smile.
They’re forming a protective barrier around him. They know something’s up.
Ash stands there looking dumbfounded for a sec before he wraps both his arms around my sisters’ shoulders.
My nose tingles and my eyes blur.
Nawww. Stupid feels!
Clearing my throat, I turn to my parents who are both standing now. Mom wears a small smile. Dad…well, he doesn’t look so happy.
Mom comes forwards and wraps me up tight. I whisper, “Hi, Mama. ”
She rocks me from side to side and whispers into my ear, “He’s very good looking, beba. ”
I chuckle and she lets go of me. My dad comes forwards and gruff as ever, hugs me so hard that he almost cuts of my air flow. I gasp. “Tata, not so tight!”
He lets go of me and moves to stand in front of Asher. He says, “The man from Tina’s wedding, no?”